Bump In The Night
by wackyjacqs
Summary: Jack knew. He just knew. As soon as Daniel had suggested that they would need to delay their return home by an additional 24 hours in order to attend a celebration and thereby not offend the locals on PCZ-3R2, Jack knew that the mission would go to hell.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Since Halloween is coming up, I thought I would share this fic. It was initially written four years ago in response to the prompt: "Sam and Jack trapped together, unable to get out of a haunted house (alien) and have to huddle together until morning and rescue." Rated T for a couple of bad words.**

 **It didn't work out quite the way I intended at the time, but my writing seldom does, so…**

* * *

Jack knew. He just knew.

As soon as Daniel had suggested that they would need to delay their return home by an additional 24 hours in order to attend a celebration and thereby not offend the locals on PCZ-3R2, Jack knew that the mission would go to hell.

He ran a hand over his face and sighed. He had absolutely no idea where he was, let alone the other three members of his team.

SG-1 had been asked to attend a banquet organized by the chief elders of the planet. It was a friendly civilization, albeit primitive, but they were willing to trade with Earth. Flora was abundant on their world and it seemed to be that whatever plant life wasn't edible, it was alternatively able to be used for medicinal purposes – which seemed to be enough for the decision makers back at the SGC to side with Daniel and ensure the team stayed for the party.

It wasn't that Jack didn't like mingling with the locals, he just… didn't like it. Talking and networking wasn't really his style – especially when he and his team were the guests of honor and therefore would be expected to partake in the local customs. Having been going off-world for seven years, they'd all had their embarrassing moments when it came to alien traditions. Whether it was the cuisine, the local booze, or even the weird matrimonial ceremonies he and Carter always seemed destined to fulfil, they had learned to tread carefully where so-called celebrations were concerned.

The evening had started out smoothly enough, with a few speeches, some food and, of course, drink. There was laughter, excitement and a sense of fun in the air, which had made Jack nervous, but he didn't necessarily feel any danger. No, the problems only started when the celebration reached its climax, where the locals set fire to a large wooden effigy. The structure – which Jack vaguely thought resembled a werewolf at the time – was filled with a variety of local plants and flowers. According to Daniel, the ritual signified the end of one season and the beginning of the next; similar to the way harvest typically marked the end of the growing season on earth.

Once the effigy had been lit, it took around ten minutes before everything went to hell.

There had been no warning.

The creatures just appeared and then the screaming started. Distorted, bloodcurdling screams which had been haunting Jack ever since. Amidst the chaos, he'd shouted for his team to fall back to safety – and that was the last he saw of them. He had turned to seek cover behind a tree and they had disappeared; however, his movements had caught the attention of one of the creatures and it had given chase. But no matter how many times Jack tried to shoot it, it evaded the gunfire and kept inching ever closer towards him. Screaming and howling. It made his blood run cold and he'd swear the beast knew his name. It was calling him, taunting him. Deciding he didn't want to take any chances, Jack ran – and kept running – which was why he now found himself in what he could only describe as a glorified corn maze.

He stopped and hunched over, his elbows resting on his thighs as he tried to catch his breath. He couldn't hear anything over his own panting or the corn leaves rustling gently in the breeze, but he wasn't going to take any chances. He repressed a shiver. He hadn't been able to get a good look at the creature – and he didn't particularly want to – but whatever it was that was chasing him, its speed and agility defied its size.

"Dammit," he whispered.

He closed his eyes and tried to recall any detail that would inform him as to where he was on the planet, but he had nothing. When he opened his eyes, he realized just how dark his surroundings where – there was no light to be found nearby. He bit back another curse and patted down his vest until he found his flashlight and switched it on. He did a slow 360 and when nothing jumped at him, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He still had no idea where he was, however, and was just about to call his team on his radio when he heard a noise to his right. He flicked the flashlight off and waited.

He could hear panting. It was getting louder, like its source was soon going to be on top of him. Jack briefly thought about moving, but in the darkness, it seemed like a wasted effort so he stood still – only to be swiftly knocked off his feet.

"Shit!"

"Ow! _Fuck._ "

A few seconds passed in heavy silence.

"Sir?"

"Carter?"

"Ow!"

"Oh, sorry," Jack mumbled as he quickly diverted the flashlight away from Sam's eyes.

The two of them sat in silence for a few seconds before Jack cleared his throat.

"Carter – what the hell's going on?"

"I have no idea, Sir. Where's Daniel and Teal'c?"

"Not got a clue. I didn't even know where you were until a few seconds ago."

"Oh."

" _Oh?_ You sound surprised, Carter."

"Yes – well – no – I –" she sighed heavily and Jack could feel her breath tickle his skin. Realizing that they were still on the ground, he got to his feet and swooped the flashlight around to help Carter to hers. When he felt Sam's grip tighten on his hand, he frowned.

"Y'alright?"

"Ah, I think so – oh. Uh, Sir?"

Tilting the flashlight upwards, Jack hissed when he saw a dark stain on the front of Sam's BDU jacket, moments before he saw her fingers covered in red liquid. He reached forward to shield his teammate's eyes as best he could from the glare of the light.

"Easy, Carter," he soothed. Sam was pale – a little too pale for his liking – but what really concerned him was the contrast of her skin against the bright red stream of blood that had stained a route from her left eyebrow down to her chin. The cut looked fresh – too fresh – and Jack suddenly had a horrible feeling that he was responsible for the injury when they'd collided.

"Shit."

He quickly patted down his pockets but had no medical kit on him. Slowly, he reached out, his fingers ghosting over the side of Sam's face as he tried to assess the damage – and ignore the hitch he heard in her breathing.

"We gotta get that cleaned up, Carter," he murmured.

"I'm fine, Sir."

"Hmm," he answered non-committedly. He started to remove his BDU jacket when Sam reached out.

"Can we find some shelter first, Sir?"

He hesitated; he really wanted to try and patch up her face but he knew she was right. Standing in the middle of – wherever – they were, they were vulnerable.

He sighed. "Where do you think we're gonna find that?" he asked, letting his hand fall from her face.

"I don't know. Maybe if we – we tried to retrace our steps?"

"Look around you, Carter."

"I know, Sir," she replied, with a slight bite to her voice. "But I don't think we've any other option."

"Yeah, I know," he paused. "Can you move OK?"

He saw Sam nod, then wince as the movement obviously caused her pain. "I'll be fine, Sir."


	2. Chapter 2

"I've always hated mazes – especially ones made out of corn."

"What makes you think this is a maze?"

"I'm pretty sure we've been down this way before," Jack grumbled, absently hitting out at the stalks as he passed. "That, and the fact that I'm pretty sure we're lost."

"We're not lost, Sir, we've just – wandered slightly off-track."

She stopped as Jack swung the flashlight in her direction. "Wandered slight – Carter –"

"Well, I'm sorry if I didn't make a note of where I was going, _Colonel,_ but I was too busy being chased by – something!"

Jack's brow rose in surprise at Sam's tone. "Is that insubordination I hear, _Major?_ "

"I'm sorry, Sir, I just – my head feels –"

Immediately, Jack reached out to stop Sam walking any further. He pulled her towards him, concern etched over his face as he took another look at her. He already felt guilty for making her travel so far with a head injury.

"How does the head feel?"

"Fuzzy."

Jack resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of all the words his theoretical astrophysicist had at her disposal, and she offered _fuzzy_.

"Care to elaborate on that, Carter?"

"I feel a little – disorientated – but I don't think it's the injury, Sir." He caught a flicker of embarrassment before Sam averted her gaze. "It's almost as if I've been given those really strong painkillers Janet keeps in the infirmary."

He frowned. "You think we've been drugged?"

"I don't think so, Sir," she replied. "But that's how I feel."

He let her words sink in. The more he thought about it, the more his mind also felt fuzzy. He had thought it was because of the exertion he had put on his body as he'd tried to outrun the enemy, but the feeling he was left with didn't feel like his usual adrenaline rush.

"You said you were being chased."

"Yes, Sir."

"What do you think it was?"

"I don't know. An animal, maybe?"

"Fast and tall? Made a weird shrieking noise?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I'd one on my tail too. It –"

The rest of his sentence was suddenly cut off as a loud crackle filled the air, followed by a distorted scream. He couldn't see any threat, but the disturbance was enough for Jack to make a decision.

"Crap."

Without thinking, he grabbed Sam's arm. "We've gotta move, Carter, now!"

He felt like they had been running for hours. He could no longer hear any unusual sounds, but he didn't want to take the risk, so – after checking with Sam that she was still feeling okay – they had agreed to keep making tracks for a while longer. The more distance they could put between themselves and the enemy was always an advantage.

As they moved forward, still unaware of where they actually were, Jack found his eyes continually straying to his second-in-command. She had stumbled a couple of times already and, from what he could see, there was fresh blood on her face. He was just about to tell her to stop when the labyrinth that had encircled them suddenly vanished and the couple found themselves in an open field.

"Well, this is unexpected."

No longer hearing anything out of the ordinary, the officers shared a look and continued walking as they waited for their sight to adjust to the new surroundings. It was still quite dark, and as he swivelled the flashlight towards Sam, Jack saw her pointing to something in the distance. Following her gaze, he saw a looming silhouette of what looked to be a large fortress.

"Sir, do you think those are the ruins the locals showed us?"

He shrugged in response. "Let's go find out."

* * *

As always, Jack mused, Samantha Carter was right. They were the same ruins the team explored previously. The locals had told them about the structure over dinner on their first night on PCZ-3R2 and had offered to accompany them to the site the following day. The ruins were from a castle, medieval in its design, and located approximately seven klicks from the village –around ten from the gate – and while Jack had said the escort wasn't necessary, their concern was waved off before the elders started to share the history of the building in question. It turned out that it was originally a fortress that belonged to the Goa'uld Sekhmet. Jack's senses were immediately on alert at this piece of intel, but after being assured that the Goa'uld had long since left the planet, he felt himself relax slightly – until Daniel had revealed that 'Sekhmet' was said to be an alternative manifestation of Hathor. Even though Jack knew she was dead, her name still sent a shiver down his spine, but as they'd found no evidence that she'd left anything behind, he had tried to push his unease aside and let the archaeologist do his job.

Now, as he came to a stop in front of the fortress, Jack sighed when he remembered that he hadn't even had a chance to ask Daniel about his findings. The place was in darkness, everything eerily still. He found a gap in one of the structure's outer walls and stepped inside the ruins, using the flashlight to assess the immediate area. Satisfied that they were alone, he helped Sam inside.

"We're going to need some light in here."

"Is that wise, Sir?"

"Probably not," he admitted. "But I gotta check that head of yours, Carter. I can't do that in the dark."

"Yes, Sir."

She went to move, but a sharp "Ah!" stopped her.

He waited for a beat to make sure that she actually followed his order before he started looking for a light source. Fortunately, there were a number of wooden staves secured in metal fixtures along one of the walls with each end of the stave wrapped in material, so sending up a silent prayer that they would ignite, Jack fished out the small lighter he always kept in his pocket.

As the room was slowly thrown into a warm orange glow, both Jack and Sam observed their surroundings. The room provided them with protection, but it didn't seem to be the most structurally secure. Deciding it would have to do for now, Jack pointed to a large stone bench in the far corner. He straddled the bench and ordered Sam to take a seat. Her knees brushed against his as she mirrored his stance and he had to force himself to focus on the task at hand. The blood had started to matt in Sam's hair and he grimaced.

"This might hurt a little, Carter."

She nodded and took a deep breath as the Colonel started to carefully examine the wound. After hitting a particularly sensitive spot, he apologized, only vaguely registering that Sam's hands were now resting on his thighs, the pads of her fingers digging into his legs. He tried to clean the cut as best he could and swore softly when he remembered that he had no medical supplies.

"It's OK, Sir. If the bleeding's stopped, it can wait until the morning."

Reluctantly, Jack nodded because he knew they had no other option – unless he had a quick look around the fortress to see if there was anything he could use as a bandage. He weighed up his options and after checking that Sam had a weapon, just incase she needed it, he left to see if he could find any supplies.

Using one of the torches, Jack used it to light a series of others along the corridor and a few in the other rooms too. Most of them were empty and dilapidated; nothing that would suffice for Carter's injury. He went to call Sam on the radio when the sound of a door slamming caught his attention.

He placed the torch into one of the fixtures and made his way towards the door. It was faint, but he could make out the form of two figures at the far end of the corridor. They seemed to be communicating, but as hard as Jack tried, he couldn't understand what they were saying. Like the screams from earlier, everything was contorted. He ducked back into the room when the creatures split up, taking one room each, and he panicked – they would soon reach Carter and he had no way to warn her without being noticed. He had no time to worry, however, as a squeal suddenly pierced the silence.

It was Carter.

Without hesitation, Jack slipped into the corridor and broke into a light jog. Just ahead of him, one of the creatures stepped into view and Jack instinctively flattened himself against the wall. His hand trailed down his leg and he felt the zat press against his thigh. He slipped it from its holster and crept forward. When he was sure he was within range, he fired and watched as the creature fell to the floor.

Jumping over his target, Jack entered the room where he'd left Carter and found her alone. He knelt in front of her, ignoring the protests of his knees, and checked for any injuries.

"Y'alright, Carter?"

He shifted his weight and slowly helped her to sit up. When he didn't receive an answer to his question, he leaned closer. "Sam?"

She looked surprised to see him and he frowned. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I don't – no. When I screamed, the creature – it – backed away."

"I'm guessing that's the one I shot," Jack supplied with a quick glance over his shoulder. "We should probably move, incase it wasn't alone."

Sam nodded and ran a hand through her hair but winced as she remembered the cut on her head.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied, glancing around the room. "I just – it's nothing."

"It's not nothing if it's bothering you, Carter. Spill."

"I'm just – I'm just a little freaked out."

In the dim light of the room, Jack could pick out her embarrassment at the admission and cast another look over his shoulder. Despite the seriousness of their situation he tried not to grin. His voice betrayed him, however, when he spoke, the words escaping before he could stop them.

"My Carter is 'freaked out'?"

" _Your_ Carter, Sir?"

"Uh – I mean – well, yeah. You're a member of my team. So… you're my Carter."

He heard a soft laugh escape Sam and he nudged her knee with the back of his hand.

"What's going on in that head of yours?"

"I don't know, Sir. Everything just feels – off. Like we're missing something. Something important."

"We're missing Daniel and Teal'c."

He wasn't lying. They were missing their teammates – not just physically, but emotionally as well. Jack liked to keep his team together as much as he could off-world and particularly when trouble was involved. It was his responsibility to make sure that he kept them all safe and brought them all home again in one piece, but until he knew where Daniel and Teal'c were on the planet – and that they were okay – he wouldn't be able to settle.

"C'mon," he whispered. "We'll find another room to crash in."

He had just helped her to her feet when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Get behind me, Carter," he murmured.

Slowly, he turned and saw another of the creatures standing in the doorway. Instinctively, Jack – who still had Sam's hand in his –pulled her behind him to try and shield her from its view. Glancing to his right, Jack saw his zat lying on the ground, out of reach. He thought about diving for the gun, but was worried that the enemy would attack over any sudden movement, so, he stayed still and hoped it would appease the threat. As if the creature could read his mind, it took one, slow step forward. Automatically, Jack retreated a step, his back pressing against Sam's chest for a second before she followed his action.

One step forward.

One step back.

It was only when Sam hit the wall that their hunter released a low, guttural sound and Jack frowned at the noise. It almost sounded like –

"Sir? It knows our names."

"Yeah, I know, Carter. Ssh," he whispered.

Without warning, another noise filled the room, right before a bolt of blue electricity surrounded them both.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: Thank you for the follows, favorites and reviews so far. I had planned for this to be the last chapter, but after giving it a re-read, I thought it was quite lengthy, so I've split the conclusion over two chapters. Hopefully it still reads okay – and the ending isn't a disappointment!**

* * *

 _Jack woke with a start and quickly winced at the headache he was now sporting. He scanned his surroundings as best he could, but the room was still in semi-darkness, the torches having burned low. Pressing his head against the cold stone floor, Jack closed his eyes and tried to remember what had happened but his memories were just out of reach._

 _He bit back a sigh and went to throw his left arm over his face, but couldn't. It was pinned to the floor. He slowly pried an eye open, and glanced over and saw Sam asleep. Her head rested on his bicep while his hand was firmly splayed over her abdomen, and whilst the idea would usually fuel his fantasies for months, Jack was hit with the stark realization that they had both either fallen asleep or blacked out during the night. With a muffled curse, he snapped into soldier mode and gave Sam a light shake. He managed to free his arm and jumped to his feet as an unsteady "oh" from his second caught his attention. The color had drained from her face as she sat up too quickly and he placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her._

 _"Easy, Carter," he whispered._

 _"Sir?"_

 _He could hear the confusion in her voice, but as the events of the previous evening started to return, Jack didn't know if their enemy was still around – and if so, he didn't want to alert them to the fact that they were now conscious. Without thinking, as Sam started to speak, he reached out and placed a finger softly against her lips. He gestured for her to stay where she was as he made his way towards the door. After a quick search, and hearing nothing but his own breathing, he was satisfied that they were alone – for now._

 _Retracing his steps, he crouched down beside Sam and ran his eyes over her head wound. There didn't seem to be any fresh bleeding, which was a good thing, but she had also fallen asleep during her watch, which wasn't as good and Jack wondered if she had a slight concussion._

 _"Think you can stand?"_

 _She nodded slowly at his question and accepted his hand. Now that she was on her feet, Jack's focused on the gash above her eye._

 _"How's the head?"_

 _"Better, Sir."_

 _"Really?"_

 _She nodded again and Jack bit back a sigh. He knew that would be her answer, so he decided to make up his own mind. His fingers brushed a strand of hair from her forehead as he examined the cut, but it was only when he heard Sam's sharp intake of breath he realized just how close his face was to hers. He knew they needed to move, to find their way back to the village and find their teammates, yet he was rooted to the spot, and if he just leaned forward a little he could –_

 _He swallowed hard at the thought and forced himself to think of something – anything– else, but then he caught Sam's gaze drift down to his lips before meeting his eyes again and he knew he was in trouble._

 _"Ah, Sir?"_

 _"Yeah," he whispered._

 _When Sam tilted her head, he found his hand still in her hair, his fingers idly twisting one of the strands._

 _"Oh, sorry," he murmured._

 _He went to let his hand drop, when Sam reached up to keep it in place._

 _"No! I mean – no – it's fine. It's – nice – actually."_

 _Jack tried not to let his surprise show as a deep blush spread across the Major's face._

 _"It's, ah, helping the headache," she admitted._

 _Slowly, Jack let his hand return to its previous spot, the palm of his hand cupping her cheek as his fingers gently tangled in her hair. When Sam closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh, Jack felt something inside him snap. Images of Carter being attacked flew into his head and he thought about how he'd come to losing her – again – and it was too much._

 _"Carter," he breathed._

 _The rest of his sentence was cut off as her lips pressed against his and it took him less than a second to respond. When Sam sighed again, he used the opportunity to deepen the kiss and when her arms looped around his neck to pull him closer, he knew – really knew – that he should have stopped whatever it was they were suddenly doing. Instead, he nudged his hips against hers and walked her back two, three steps to the bench in the corner of the room. When her legs hit the cold stone, he wrapped an arm around her to lessen the impact of their bodies as they crashed onto the bench. He tried to speak, to ask what the hell was going on, but all that was going through his head was the fact that Samantha Carter's lips and hands were on his body. And then she groaned and Jack was pretty sure he was about to lose it, especially when he felt Sam's hips jerk under his and she pushed up to roll them over and –_

* * *

Jack bolted upright, panting heavily.

"Fuck," he growled.

It had only been a dream – or a hell of a fantasy – the little voice in his head chirped, but it had felt real. Oh, so real. He'd swear that he still felt Sam's lips against his and the way her fingers trailed a route from the hollow of his neck down to his abdomen and –

"Stop it, O'Neill," he murmured.

He shook his head and tried to focus. He took a deep breath as recollections of darkness, and weird alien creatures and Carter screaming flooded back. He also had a feeling that he'd been shot and as he cast a quick glance around, he frowned. He felt hungover.

He turned his head to the side and winced at how bright his surroundings now seemed to be. As he tried to shield his eyes from the rays of sunlight that filtered in through the cracks in the wall, he discovered that he couldn't move his arms, and with a sudden feeling of déjà vu, he looked over his shoulder. He had to force himself to stamp down on his panic. A rope had been tied around his wrists, securing them together. Slowly, he flexed his fingers to see how much give was in the restraint but there was none. He then looked to his feet and saw another rope around his ankles. He swore again, just as movement to his left caught his attention. Sam's back was to him, and her wrists and ankles were also bound together. but she still appeared to be sleeping and this set off more alarm bells. He suddenly wondered what the hell had happened last night. Leaning forward, he used his leg to gently nudge the back of Sam's knee.

"Wakey, wakey, Carter," he whispered.

Sam jumped awake before she twisted herself into a sitting position. When she tried to move her arms, Jack caught her panicked expression. "Take it easy, Sam," he repeated. "We're alone."

He waited until her breathing evened out and his words seemed to get through to her. He was just about to ask if she was alright when the sound of running footsteps could be heard. They were getting louder, and Jack shuffled to his knees in front of Sam to try and shield her from what was approaching.

"Jack! Sam! Are you OK?"

Jack felt Sam sag a little behind him as Daniel came sliding into the room, Teal'c not far behind and they hovered near the door.

"Daniel? Teal'c?"

As his two teammates shared an unreadable look, Jack felt his unease grow. He cast a quick glance over them both but couldn't see any injuries or anything to suggest that they had been attacked.

"Are you guys, OK?" He finally asked.

Surprised, Daniel nodded. "Yeah, we're fine, Jack." He paused. "But I think we need to ask you the same question."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: I'm so sorry for the delay in posting this last chapter!**

* * *

"Are you hurt?"

"No, we're fine now," Daniel answered.

"What the hell happened last night? What were those things – how did you manage to shake them?"

"We –"

"We'd no idea where you were. Did you not think to try and check-in at some stage?"

Daniel winced at Jack's questions. "It's nice to see you too, Jack."

"We didn't know if you were even alive," Sam added quietly.

"We tried to contact you. A number of times," Daniel replied.

"No message came over the radio."

"Actually, we think it did. You just didn't hear it."

 _"Excuse me?"_

"Daniel Jackson is indeed speaking the truth," Teal'c interjected from his position at the door.

Jack strained his neck to look at his friend and realized he was still bound by the ropes. "We could use a hand here," he sighed and tried to shake his arms to emphasize his point.

"Hm? Oh! Of course," Daniel answered. He took two steps forward then hesitated. "You can see us OK, right?"

Jack pulled a face. "What? No, Daniel. You're a figment of my imagination." He rolled his eyes. "Are you _sure_ you're OK?"

Daniel threw his hands up in a defensive gesture and quickly moved to his teammates. "It certainly sounds like you, anyway," he muttered. Unfortunately, his comment wasn't quiet enough for Jack to not pick up on it.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think we need to talk."

"Ya think?"

Jack nodded his thanks to Daniel and rubbed at his wrists once they were freed. When Sam was also released from her restraints, he moved to her side. "I gotta check your –"

Sam's face was now sporting a large bruise and there was a bump above her eye. He frowned and carefully brought his hand up to the side of her face, his fingers reverently tracing the butterfly closures that now covered the gash.

"Sir? What's wrong?"

His eyes shifted to Sam's and he caught her panicked expression moments before her fingers tangled with his. When she felt the stitches, her expression matched Jack's.

"How did –"

"Like I said," Daniel interjected softly. "We need to talk."

"So, start talking," Jack answered as he helped Sam to her feet.

"What is the last thing you remember O'Neill? Major Carter?" Teal'c asked as he joined them in the center of the room.

"Uh," Sam hesitated and closed her eyes.

"There was a fire," Jack supplied, with a quick glance at Sam who nodded in agreement.

Daniel studied them both but didn't say anything.

"The celebration was about to end and the elders had set fire to the sculpture."

"There was a weird smell," Jack cut in, then shrugged. "The smoke got in my eyes."

"I remember people screaming – and then I was being chased."

Daniel's eyes narrowed at Sam's words. "By what?"

"An animal? Or a creature of some kind? I don't know, I never got a good look at it."

Jack nodded. "They were fast."

"Were you two together?"

Jack and Sam shared a look at Daniel's question, but it was Sam who answered. "No, Daniel."

"Interesting," he muttered as he folded his arms across his chest and tucked his hands underneath. "So, how did you find each other?"

"We – ah – bumped into each other."

"Literally," Jack chipped in as he pointed to Sam's head. "In the middle of a corn maze."

"A corn maze?"

As Daniel shared a concerned look with Teal'c, Jack felt his frustration increase.

"Daniel," Jack snapped. "You said we needed to talk, but Carter and I seem to be the only ones who are doing that. Care to explain what the hell is going on?"

"OK, sorry. Do you remember anything else?"

Jack sighed heavily. "Aside from almost being attacked by those creatures and then waking up like this? No. Carter, do you have anything you want to add?"

She winced at his brusque tone. "No, Sir."

With an impatient look, he turned to Daniel who hesitated slightly, then said: "Last night, the elders were explaining the significance of the ritual and what it represents for their people. According to their tradition, the celebration signifies the end of one season and the commencement of the next."

"Yeah, I remember you saying something about that," Jack said, running a hand across his forehead.

"Well, when I asked what the new season would bring, the leaders said they are entering the winter months. Not so dissimilar to Earth, the plants, animals – nature in general – slows down, but when Sekhmet ruled over the planet, she became angry when the crops didn't grow or animal sacrifices couldn't be made. It was because of nature, but being a Goa'uld, Sekhmet believed that the people were deliberately withholding the sacrifices. She thought they were turning against her, so she came up with a way to keep them loyal."

"Of course she did," Jack said with a tight smile as he sat down on the stone bench.

"But her plan didn't work. The effects were only temporary, so Sekhmet killed them. She murdered most of their people – only a few managed to escape and start a rebellion and – somehow – they managed to overthrow her. She took so many lives but over time those who remained were able to reproduce and added to their numbers once again. Now, every year around this time have this celebration as a reminder; it's a way for them to enjoy what their ancestors never had – their freedom."

"That still doesn't explain our lapse in memory, Daniel."

"Uh, well, the leaders started to tell us about the different plants – or elements – that were used as part of the celebration, but it was only when we looked around, that we noticed something wasn't right."

Sam stepped closer to her teammates. "What happened?"

"Everyone started to collapse," said Teal'c. "On closer inspection, they appeared to be in a deep hypnotic state."

"Hypnosis? All of them?"

"Not exactly," Daniel grimaced. "Do you remember how the locals said that all flora had a purpose here?"

Jack narrowed his eyes at the archaeologist as a horrible feeling started to stir in his stomach. "Yeah?"

"Well, it turns out that something may have been – just slightly – lost in translation during our initial discussions."

"Come again?"

Pushing his glasses up his nose, Daniel waved a hand in the air. "According to the chief elders, the _substances_ used in last night's celebration – are known for their medicinal properties, but the word 'medicine' seems to mean different things here, depending on the context."

Jack groaned. "Oh, why do I not like where this is going?"

"It's actually really interesting," Daniel continued as if he hadn't spoken. "As we know, plants have been the basis for medical treatments throughout much of human history. In ancient Egypt, for example, herbs are mentioned –"

"Daniel? Get to the point."

"I am."

"Then get there _quicker,_ " Jack retorted.

"Well, when we think of medicinal, we tend to think of something relating to, or being used to cure disease, or relieve pain."

Jack waved a hand in the air impatiently. "Yeah?"

"Well, here, medicinal can also cover recreational use."

"Recreational?"

Daniel nodded at Sam's question.

"As in…"

"You were high."

Jack turned to look at Sam, who had a look of shock and horror on her face and he was pretty sure his expression wasn't much different. "We were stoned?"

"One of the substances is called Booglas – it's a hallucinogen," Daniel explained.

"When Daniel Jackson and I were informed of this, we attempted to locate you and Major Carter immediately."

"We did find you," Daniel stressed. "But before we could explain anything, you shouted for us to take cover – but there was nothing there – and when we tried to call you, you started running."

Sam frowned. "What are you saying, Daniel?"

"There were no creatures."

"Daniel," Jack placated. "We _saw_ them. They were on our tail."

"No, that's what you _thought_ you saw. When you and Sam split – Teal'c tried to follow you and I went after Sam. The creatures you're talking about – it was us. We were chasing you."

"But I heard them – screaming and crying."

"It was us trying to call you back – and over the radio," Daniel admitted, but Jack could see he was trying hard to hide his amusement. "The substance – it alters your brain chemistry in some way. Like a side-effect, if you will, it distorts the things you see and hear. It's why Sekhmet introduced it to the planet. She used it to try and keep the people devoted to her and abide by her wishes."

"Have I ever said how much I hate the Goa'uld?" Jack asked as he got to his feet. He ran a hand through his hair and then froze. "So, let me get this straight," he said, holding up his two index fingers. "The two of you were fine. No hallucinations… nothing?"

"We were unaffected by the celebration," Teal'c confirmed with a nod.

"Huh. So why were Carter and I the only ones who –"

"P3X-797."

Jack turned to look at Sam. "What's that, Carter?"

"P3X-797," she repeated. "The Touched."

"What's that got to do with –" Jack closed his eyes and let the rest of his sentence go unfinished. "Ah, crap."

"We don't know for sure," Daniel said quickly. "But that was the conclusion we came to. I think my meds and Teal'c's symbiote protected us from the – uh – substances."

"It would make sense," Sam agreed.

"Nothing about this makes sense, Carter!"

Sam went to respond, but Jack caught the moment her expression changed. He knew that look – it was the one where her science brain suddenly kicked into high gear.

"Daniel, when you asked if the Colonel and I were together last night, I said no – and you said that it was 'interesting'. What did you mean by that?"

Jack glanced from Sam to Daniel. "Yes, Daniel, please explain."

When the archaeologist started to fidget, Jack raised a brow in suspicion. "Daniel?"

"Uh, I'm not sure I want to –"

"Daniel – we need to know," Sam stressed when he seemed reluctant to share the information.

"The celebration is two-fold," he sighed. "In addition to celebrating their freedom, the inhabitants also use the ritual to honor the lives of those lost – by bringing new life to their world."

"When you say 'bring new life', you mean –"

"The elders informed Daniel Jackson and myself that one of the other substances used throughout the duration of the celebration has a particular purpose," Teal'c added. "It is said to increase ones sexual desire and intimacy with a partner."

Jack shook his head. "Whoa, T! _What?_ "

"It's an aphrodisiac," Daniel supplied with an embarrassed smile. "That's why I asked if you were together, because –"

"Oh, my god."

Jack turned to look at Sam but found her staring wide-eyed at the bench. He frowned but when he risked another glance at her, he noticed a faint blush spread across her cheeks. His concern turned to intrigue, especially when Sam met his eye and her blush deepened. He thought about commenting, only for Daniel to clear his throat. When Jack looked over, the archaeologist had followed their gaze, a mild expression of alarm on his face.

"Uh, you guys didn't –"

"No!"

"Of course not, Daniel!"

"At least I don't think –"

 _"No."_

"It's not like that, Jack," Daniel said quickly. "The plant is supposed to enhance your unconscious mind for one evening so that, uh, well –"

"We get the idea," Jack muttered.

"It is fascinating when you think about it," Daniel said brightly. "The effects are actually said to draw soulma – uh – you know what? Never mind," he trailed off, seeing the thunderous look on his friend's face.

The four team members fell into an uncomfortable silence as they thought over the events of the previous night and what did – or did not – occur. Finally, it was Sam who broke the silence.

"What happened to your hand?"

"Oh, uh," Daniel winced slightly as he tried to hide his bandaged fingers. "You bit me."

 _"What?"_

"It's fine. It – well – it'll be fine."

"Daniel, I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault, Sam," he smiled. "When I saw you last night – I was just so glad to find you and I didn't think – I didn't realize the effects of the drugs would be so strong, and I must have scared you, so when I put my hand on your shoulder to try and calm you down – you bit me."

Sam frowned at the information and Jack could see her trying to think back desperately to the previous night. His own memories were vague, but he could just about remember one of the creatures entering the room towards Sam and imagined it reaching out for her and –

"Oh, god, Daniel," she groaned. "I thought you were –"

"Like I said," he interrupted with a small smile. "It's fine, Sam."

"Uh," Jack winced as the memories continued to surface. "Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack."

"I shot something last night – here – just outside of the door."

The two men studied each other carefully and Jack already knew the answer, but decided to ask anyway. "What was it?"

"It was me."

A snort from Sam was the last response he expected, but her amusement was short-lived by Teal'c's next words.

"And I subsequently shot you, O'Neill – and Major Carter, for which I apologize."

"We, ah, decided to restrain you both in case – well – just to be on the safe side," Daniel hedged.

It took a few moments for Jack to process the information, and he straightened. "I take it you patched up Carter's head too?"

"Yeah," Daniel nodded.

"Thanks, Danny."

With a quick glance around the room, Jack suddenly felt like he needed some air. He cleared his throat. "Do you have everything you need for now?"

When Daniel nodded, he clapped his hands together. "Alright. I suggest we go home and suggest SG-9 take over the negotiations."

With the approval of his teammates, he gestured for Daniel and Teal'c to lead the way. He waited until they left the room before he reached out and placed a hand on Sam's arm. "Sir?"

"With everything that happened last night… Are we OK, Carter?"

"Oh."

He tried to ignore the blush that returned to Sam's face, but when she bit down on her bottom lip, he knew he wasn't going to forget that look anytime soon.

"We're fine, Sir. I mean, it's not like we actually _did_ anything while we were – uh…"

"Zonked?"

Despite the circumstances, she smiled. "Yes, Sir."

He grinned. "Good. Shall we?"

They walked side-by-side to the door when Sam hesitated.

"Carter?"

"I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Our mission reports."

"Ah… What about 'em?"

"Well, with all due respect, Sir, what are we going to write?"

"That we had the whole experience, Carter."

"Sir?"

"Sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll'."

When he threw a wink in Sam's direction, she chuckled softly and started walking.

"Ya sure, you betcha, Sir."

* * *

 **Author's Note: I'm not that happy with the ending, but all my other attempts were even worse. Thank you so much for sticking with this!**


End file.
